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Bank of England Base Rate – useful information
The Base Rate is the interest rate set by the Bank of England and is also known as the ‘official Bank Rate’. Continue reading to find out more about how this could affect you.
The current Bank of England Bank Rate is 5.00% (effective from 1st August 2024).
Let’s look at the details
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It is the interest rate set by the Bank of England and is also known as the ‘official Bank Rate’. It affects the interest rates offered by Banks, Building Societies and other financial institutions. By changing the Base Rate, the Bank of England seeks to influence overall borrowing in the economy.
The Bank of England can increase or decrease the official Base Rate. The current rate can be found on the Bank of England’s website.
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How will I know if my interest rates are linked to the Bank of England Base Rate? expandable section
Your account terms and conditions explain whether your standard interest rates are linked to the Base Rate. Your standard interest rates can also be found in your monthly statement and account terms and conditions. If we need to change your interest rates in the future for other reasons, as we do now we’ll write to let you know beforehand and explain what your options are. We’ll also do this if we decide to relink your account to the Bank of England Base Rate in the future.
If you need more support, message us online. If you don’t bank online, give us a call or visit your local branch.
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The Base Rate set by the Bank of England directly affects our costs of lending. It is therefore one of the things we consider when setting interest rates on our credit cards.
If your rates are linked to Base Rate and the Bank of England changes the Base Rate, your standard interest rates will change. It’s a simple and fair way to reflect the change in our costs.
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The Base Rate is reviewed regularly by the Bank of England, and may stay the same for long periods of time.
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If your rates are linked to Base Rate and the Bank of England changes the Base Rate, your standard interest rates will increase or decrease in line with this change. The change to your rates will be effective from the next working day after the Bank of England announcement is made.
Changes to your monthly payments will be effective from the next statement after the change in the Base Rate. Your monthly statement will always show you how much you need to pay and by when.
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Any change in the Base Rate will be widely communicated in the media. It will also be announced at www.bankofengland.co.uk.
We will inform you when your standard interest rates have changed on your next statement after the announcement of the Base Rate change. If we’re not sending regular statements when a Base Rate change happens, for example if you’ve not been using your account, you’ll see your new interest rates when we next send you a statement. This will be your next annual statement, or if it’s sooner, after you start using the account again and when you next get a monthly statement.
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No. Any promotional or non-standard rates you have on your account will not change and will continue until the end of the promotional offer.
Your new standard interest rates (taking into account Base Rate changes) will only apply once your promotional offer ends.
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You will need to close your account. Interest will continue to apply to your balance at the existing rates, and you’ll need to continue to make at least the minimum payment every month until the balance is completely cleared. You will not be able to carry on using your card.
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If your interest is currently waived as part of your payment plan, this won’t change. If the Base Rate increases or decreases, you’ll see on your statement how this impacts your standard interest rates but this won’t impact your account until your payment plan comes to an end. Please keep making any plan payments we’ve agreed with you.
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Your standard interest rates will not track any movements in the Base Rate below 0%. This is detailed in your credit card terms and conditions.
For example, if Base Rate is reduced from 0.25% to -0.25%, your standard simple interest rates will reduce by 0.25% only.
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Yes. We may change your standard interest rates in the future for reasons set out in your account terms and conditions. If we increase your rates we’ll write to you at least 60 days before to tell you why. If we decrease your rates we will write to you at least seven days before to tell you.
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- Keeping to the conditions of your credit card or any other product you have with us (‘us’ includes Lloyds Bank and other brands within Lloyds Banking Group). For example, don’t miss payments, or make payments that bounce. If you pay late or miss a payment, you may have to pay fees, lose any promotional offers you have, and it could damage your credit score.
- Keep an eye on your financial status. If we receive information about you from external credit reference agencies we may change your rates. Your credit rating may be impacted by regularly using the entire credit limit or exceeding the credit limit on your credit card, not making payments on time to other creditors such as credit cards, mortgages, loans or current accounts or regularly using a credit card to make cash transactions.
- We may increase your rates for other reasons - so even if you stick to the terms of your agreement and keep an eye on your financial status, this does not guarantee that your rates will remain the same.
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